Dominican Republic bans five pesticides, restricts 22 others

The Agriculture Ministry of Dominican Republic announced Tuesday a ban on the sale of five pesticides and restricted the use of 22 products applied on crops, via resolution 61-2011.

Agriculture minister Salvador Jimenez said the measure seeks to control and improve the use of pesticides on fruits and vegetable, to comply with global standards of quality.

The measure bans the pesticides Acefato, Aldicarb, Metamidofos, Monocrotofos and Ometoato and restricts the use of Amitraz, Carbofuran, Clorfenapir, Chlorpyrifos, Diafentiuron, Diazinon, Diclorvos, Dimetoato and Endosulfan.

Also restricted are Imidacloprid, Malathion, Metiocarb, Metomil, Oxamil, Profenofos, Dicofol, Benomil, Carbendazim, Fenamidona, Propiconazol, Tiabendazol and Tiacloprid.

Jimenez said the products under supervised use will be recommended by Phytosanitary specialists of Agriculture’s Vegetal Health Department Network.

The resolution says that the use and import of pesticides in inventories which had been approved before the current Resolution need to be coordinated with its Vegetal Health Department’s Pesticides Division.

It adds that all the pesticides which contain the active ingredients already cited in the resolution must be subjected to compliance with the regulations of countries which import agricultural products.